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An Evening with Common Threads

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Photo credit: Mandy Holcomb.

Foodies and philanthropists alike gathered at Liaison Hotel to celebrate Common Threads, a non-profit organization that teaches low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals based on the belief that through hands-on cooking classes can help prevent childhood obesity and reverse the trend of generations of non-cookers, while celebrating cultural differences and the things people all over the world have in common.

The event was held in the spacious and elegant ballroom at the Liaison, where chefs set up tasting stations for guests to try small plates and bites of gourmet food. The room was anchored by a sumptuous open bar, where beer, wine, spirits, and even signature cocktails were poured for eager guests.

The organization reaches nearly 1,000 children, ages 8-12, annually across 18 sites in Chicago, two sites in Los Angeles, four in Miami, and four in Washington, D.C. Common Threads is proud to be part of an exclusive group of charities hand selected for Food and Wine magazine’s “Chefs Make Change” campaign that brings together 10 superstar chefs to make the world a better place.

A heartwarming presentation emceed by Top Chef chef-lebrity Carla Hall educated guests about the great work of Common Threads. An on-the-spot Q&A session with members of the program, all in the adolescent age range, proved extra poignant, as elementary school students of all ages and backgrounds gave firsthand accounts of how Common Threads has profoundly changed their lives.

Founded in 2003, Common Threads teaches low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals based on the belief that through hands-on cooking classes, childhood obesity can be prevented and the trend of generations of non-cookers can be reversed, all while celebrating cultural differences and the things people all over the world have in common. For more information on Common Threads, please visit www.commonthreads.org. Follow Common Threads on Facebook & Twitter.